﻿Thoughts on our collaboration process.Collaboration is not only about the integration of our ideas but a process that challenges our normal methods and preconceived notions. It makes us examine what we think and forces us to develop and defend our ideas. It makes us look for clear path of expression and discovery. It forces us to listen and be willing to change our direction in mid stream if something more interesting is revealed.

This is all done in an attempt to build a shared and adaptable instinct together. A voice that is a true combination of both of our voices. We were quite calculating in the beginning of this project. We deliberately wanted to exploit both our individual strengths and make work that could address scale, content, and the hand made object.

As you can imagine the working process of two strong willed opinionated artist truly working through the process of debating every decision, both great and small, and then coming to a conclusion of mutual agreement on what would be the best next step forward proved to be frustrating, crazy, and rewarding. It’s a good thing we really love each other because this type of process is not for the faint of heart.

Textere Series

The Textere Series is a new development in our on going ceramic collaboration project.

This series involves combining simple over lapping modular forms that were created in units that when placed together created a large scale woven form. Our conversations about these forms and the implied metaphors ranges from the qualities of fabric, our culture, an artists canvas, the interconnected networks we have as makers and people.

Line Scape Series

Our first collaborative works are informed by the “idea” of landscape and geography, both physical and psychological. One of the principle considerations we wanted to utilize was how to approach a large format drawing that one would normally associate with painting over a sculptural surface and have the two enhance each other. Scale and how things translate both close up and at a distance became an early issue both in form and color choice. Clay is one of the few places where the hand has a voice and the ability to truly record the process of making. Through the glaze and slips, firing and re-firing, we worked to achieve surfaces that documented the history of the making and help to communicate a narrative.